Player meets Undertale
by DarkElvenRose
Summary: Frisk gets to make a lot of friends in the Underground, but they did not expect to be whisked away on a very long adventure with a girl called "Player". They certainly did not expect to have a seemingly repetitive journey through the timelines either. Why has Player not decided to leave yet?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

It was an old tale of monsters and men that had sparked an adventurous spirit in humans to climb Mt. Ebott. Many of them did not return. It was due to these disappearances that rumor went that all who venture said mountain would never be seen again. Several humans have made this true for a number of years. The ominous air around Mt. Ebott alone caused adults to worry for their children, telling them not to go near it.

Despite these warnings, children brave their way up the mountain out of curiosity. Frisk was no different than the supposed six children from prior years. The orphan, just like the rest, wondered if there truly was an entrance to the monster world.

After all...who would miss them? They did not have any friends or a family to call their own. If Frisk were to die, at least they could do so without anyone's worry. There would be no guilt.

The gaping hole in the earth was so large, it appeared to have been created by an angry god punching the ground. At least to Frisk it did. Peering into the dark abyss stirred their stomach until it knotted up. Sweat broke out on the thought of actually jumping down into this great pit. Frisk was almost about to leave when the earth beneath them gave way.

They let out a shriek as they tumbled along the crumbling dirt before eventually just falling for what seemed like forever.

...

When the fallen human had come to, a voice called out rather cheerfully: "Curtis!" This made Frisk rather confused at the prompted name. It was as if the voice were answering someone else...

"That's not my-" they were grabbed before they could finish. They did not expect to be hugged so closely to a girl's bosom.

"It's okay, you can tell me your name later. For now, we're going to be exploring together!" She sounded so giddy. It was like she had gotten a new video game and just could not wait to play.

Frisk opened their eyes, looking up at the girl who held them so motherly-like. She had brown wavy hair and brown eyes like them, but her hair reached her chin and curled here and there. Pushing lightly away, the two held each other at arm's length. They could see she wore a black turtleneck, denim jeans, and black sneakers. Her smile was beginning to falter.

"S-something wrong...?" She asked, eyes darting around, looking anywhere but at Frisk.

"Sorry, but...what's your name?"

She appeared to have held her breath at that. Her panic slowly faded with an awkward chuckle. "You can call me Player."


	2. Getting Started

**Getting Started**

Player seemed uneasy, finding interest in the crumpled yellow flowers Frisk fell on. Her thin fingers gingerly tugged on the bright petals. They wanted to say something to catch her attention, but found it hard to think of a topic. So, they stood up instead. That worked to catch her big-eyed stare.

"I thought you said we were going exploring..." Frisk smiled politely.

"Oh! Yeah, we should go," Player agreed, practically shooting up from the ground herself. She grabbed their hand, pulling them along into darkness. Her pace was so quick that Frisk nearly stumbled on the first few steps.

They came across a lone...buttercup? This flower had a smiling face, bobbing joyfully at the presence of the two. "Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower!" It leaned forward a bit, humming thoughtfully. "You're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be so confused." Flowey tilted a little to the left before jumping upright with a toothy grin. "Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do!"

As if it was not dark already, the three were plunged into pitch blackness. A crimson heart appeared in front of Frisk, giving off a warm light. Flowey appeared, all devoid of color, still smiling. It pointed a leaf to the heart. "See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being." Its pleased tone of its own intelligence came through in the next couple of words. "Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV."

Frisk tilted their head, raising a brow while glancing between their soul and the little flower.

"What's LV stand for?" Flowey voiced the child's thoughts. "Why, LOVE, of course!" It chuckled, tone becoming absolutely cheerful again. "You want some LOVE, don't you?"

Before either Player or Frisk could say anything, Flowey continued. "Don't worry, I'll share some with you!" It even winked at them, causing Player to narrow her eyes. Flowey saw this, smile tugging itself into more of a smug smirk. "You know what's going on, don't you?"

Suddenly the two were surrounded by white twirling...seeds? Flowey's face no longer had the friendly smile, but instead its face had stretched into a terrifying sight. Its giant grin startled the duo, only further scaring them with a shrill cackle. The seeds were closing in dangerously on Frisk's soul.

Yet, the seeds never connected. Something cancelled out Flowey's magic, making said flower frown in angry confusion. Before it could call out on the meddler, a flame knocked it away. Player could not help but giggle at the flower's tiny shriek as it went flying. How does such a thing like that even happen?

Quick footsteps brought a white...goat lady? "What a terrible creature, torturing such poor innocent youths..." her voice held an unbearably motherly tone, Player's eye twitched. At least the darkness faded away in the woman's presence.

Frisk, having their sense of security betrayed, held tightly onto Player's arm. Their soul was still exposed to the monster, feeling it close in on itself.

"Do not be afraid, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins," she smiled reassuringly. "I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You two are the first humans to come here in a long time." A fuzzy hand was offered to them. "Come! I'll guide you through the catacombs."

Frisk and Player exchanged worried glances before finally following Toriel. A slight purple light poured in from up ahead. Player sighed wearily at perhaps what was to come. At least she was still up for it otherwise she would stop all together, or so Frisk thought. She seemed like that kind of person.

Then, something occurred to them - why did Player's soul not show up when Flowey attacked? Frisk examined her face. She held a determined smile.


	3. Ruins Speed Run

**Ruins Speed Run**

Quiet, nothing save for the clicking of buttons as Frisk tried to figure out how to use the large brick of a phone Toriel had given them. Originally, it had been given to Player since she appeared to be older, thus making her the responsible one. Yet, once Toriel left them in the corridor they chased her in, Player admitted to not knowing how to work a phone. So, it was up to Frisk to keep it. How strange, they thought, a teenager doesn't know how to use a phone! Had she never owned one?

Speaking of Player, her footsteps tore their attention from the phone to her heading the way Toriel had gone. "What are you doing? Mom said to stay here!" Frisk called.

"Face it, nothing's going to happen if we just sit here. It's adventure time!" Her nervous chuckle was enough to tell Frisk that she honestly did not want to go alone. Even the way she swayed side to side added on to that suspicion.

Joining hands again, the two continued after, what Player calls her, Goat Mom. The moment they stepped out of the corridor, the phone rang. "Hello? This is Toriel. You have not left the room, have you? There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain." The quality of the phone call was a little grainy. Frisk took the call, reassuring her that they were okay and that they would be good.

Meanwhile, Player wondered why "Mom" answered by addressing who she was when there were no other phone numbers on the contacts. Maybe it was just something Player herself forgets to do, therefore thinking it silly. Gee...

The ruins were filled with Froggits, Whimsums, Loox, and vines. Each puzzle encountered was beginning to tire out Player's mind...and legs. Frisk still had the energy to fall down holes, climb back up a chute, flip switches, and dodge monster attacks like nothing. However, the same could not be said for Player. If Frisk had not been there to help, she felt she would have broken her legs on the multiple times she failed to walk the right path.

Not to mention Toriel's phone calls. With each ring, Player grew a little more frustrated, but kept up her curious smile. The only thing that held her interest was what laid beyond the ruins. Her imagination filled with all sorts of colorful areas with many a creature to meet. It made her squeal in the middle of battle once, causing her to get hit by a leaping Froggit. In fact, Frisk noticed just how distracted Player was just by how often she failed to dodge even the simplest attack.

The two were fighting a Moldsmal when this happened. A Moldsmal!

It became a desperate run for more monster candy and an equally frantic search for a save point. All because of Player's poor dodging skills. Despite the low HP, Frisk still smiled at the blundering girl. She tries her best, that's all that matters. Forget the fact they had a game over seven times already.

It was like a miracle when Player met Napstablook. She got a happy break time on the second turn, which was very much needed. Dodging acid tears is hard, even for Frisk - the best dodger she knew! The whole Dapper Blook scene made Player chuckle.

"Well, aren't you just dashing?" Frisk's voice acted as an echo for hers. Both giggled.

The slight flirtation embarrassed the ghost. "I usually come to the ruins because there's nobody else around..." they admitted. "But today I met some nice people..." a pause. "Oh, I'm rambling again. I'll get out of your way." With that, Napstablook disappeared.

A little past that lay a spider bake sale. Normally, Player does not bother with spiders, but it is a bake sale. She pulls Frisk into the small room with her to see what treats await them. The smaller web offered donuts, the bigger offered cider. With all the gold the two had picked up, they were able to get one of each. How lucky!

"I never expected spiders to be so cute!" Player was speaking in an awkwardly high-pitched baby talk. Frisk could only smile back.

More calls, more puzzles, more sparing.

"I'm beginning to sense a pattern here..." Player said more to herself than to Frisk. She had caused them two more game overs by the time both reached a crossroads.

"What is it?"

Player pointed a finger upward, though she did not intend to gesture to anything. Rather, she held her hand out to the side of her. "This place purposely makes you go against your natural instinct of straight up murdering! It does this by making everything so cute and friendly." At Frisk's slump of the shoulders, she added: "Oh, I'm not complaining. I love it! It totally messes with your mind." She was hopping excitedly now, making Frisk's arm do the wave. They guessed she had forgotten they were holding hands.

With a shuddery laugh, they pointed to the intersection. "Which way should we go?"

Coming to a stop, the girl cleared her throat. Her eyes were darting again. "Maybe down here. If Goat Mom didn't go there, then we go the other way. Easy as cake!" At Frisk's puzzled smirk, she blushed. "Have you tried making a pie from scratch? Yeah, no. Cake is easier. Cake is love, cake is life."

Frisk burst into a fit of giggles. They laughed harder when Player's face got brighter. Patting their new friend on the shoulder, they pointed down the narrow path as a way of saying "Onward!"

All that was down that way was a single Froggit. It croaked that it had seen Toriel go the other direction. Even still, the two went farther down until they saw a view of a...city? Both spotted the toy knife, exchanging surprised glances.

"Mine!" Player chimed, racing to pick it up. "Yoink!" Once the word escaped her mouth, she regretted it. Great, Frisk was laughing again. She joined in, knowing full well how silly she must have appeared.

Going down the wide leaf ridden path, the pair was met with the sight of a large tree. It was withered, twisted, and black. The mere sight of it prompted a "Cool!" from Player. There was no time to admire the tree as footsteps crunching against the orange leaves kept the duo alert.

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would." Toriel's worried muttering got closer. She arrived into their line of sight just as she pulled out her own phone. Noticing the children, she rushed towards them. "How did you get here so quickly? Are you hurt?" She asked almost frantically, searching and examining them both. "Don't worry, you will get a sincere apology for this," she seemed fairly upset over the bruises and scrapes. Then, her eyes went soft again. "I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this."

Goat Mom paused, catching herself. "Err...well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, children!"

Following her led to a quaint home deep in the ruins. It fills the duo with DETERMINATION.


	4. Toriel

**Toriel**

The inside of the home felt warm and welcoming, a sweet aroma wafted through the air. Frisk smiled, glancing over at Player. She was busy taking in the atmosphere. Who could blame her?

"Do you smell that?" Toriel asked them. "Surprise! It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie," she giggled. "I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here, so I will hold off on snail pie for tonight."

Just the mere mention of snail pie made the children want to cringe. However, that would be rude.

Toriel gasped like she remembered something. "I really wish I had known that two of you would be coming, then I could have better prepared..." she trailed off. Her next smile faltered. "Here, you can share a room of your very own."

A little down the hallway was said room. The gentle pat on the head stopped with an all too familiar hot, smokey smell. Each head raised in alert, looking to where it originated.

"Is something burning...?" Toriel murmured. "Um, make yourselves at home!" She said, rushing towards the kitchen.

Chuckling, Frisk opened the door. The room had only one bed, making the child feel uneasy when looking at Player. Yet, Player was already checking out the entire area. She even went to pick up one of the large duck plushies, but decided not to as if she lost interest. Her snoopy nature did not seem like it was out of excitement than it was for the sake of searching. Frisk raised a brow at this.

"Aren't you tired?" They asked her, rubbing their arm shyly. "Earlier you were complaining of constantly running around."

Player gave them a puzzled smirk. "Yeah...but eh. I dunno. It's new ground, man! You gotta look." When she said this, Frisk thought back to when they first met. "What's up, dude?" She must have noticed their nervous humming.

They swallowed the tension building inside. "You called me Curtis...why?"

"Oh, you can't see the text boxes, can you? Well...I was told to name 'the fallen human'. Maybe it meant you, or maybe it meant someone else, I have no idea. I'm going to assume it was you. Though, I did say you could tell me your real name," she spoke so matter-of-factly like she had been through this sort of thing before. Well, she had to be called "Player" for a reason.

Frisk found themself shaking their head. "No, it's fine. It's not like you even address me by it." Despite having said that, they really did want to tell her. It could wait, they supposed.

She said nothing. Confused about not getting a reply or a pat, Frisk looked up to see that the girl had sent herself to sleep. Her steady breathing barely moved the blanket if at all. They decided to nap as well. A little shut-eye couldn't hurt.

...

Frisk awoke to find a slice of butterscotch-cinnamon pie laid out on a plate next to the bed. The wedge was rather big for just them alone. Perhaps it was meant to be shared? They shrugged, putting the pie into their inventory. Looking back to the bed, they saw Player sitting up, staring back at them.

"You left me..." she mumbled groggily.

They did not know if she meant in her dream or the fact they got out of bed. Either way, Frisk smiled in apology. Did this girl grow attached already? Is this what having a friend is like? Maybe it was more like dating - the concept Frisk somewhat understood as being with someone you really like. If so, that sure escalated quickly.

"Hey! You still asleep there, buddy?" Player's voice broke through the swirling thoughts. She was waving a hand in front of their face. "C'mon, there's gotta be some cool stuff to explore!"

The duo headed out the bedroom and further down the hall. They went into the next room, which belonged to Goat Mom. While Frisk peeked inside the diary, Player snooped around the bookshelf. The circled passage read: "Why did the skeleton want a friend? Because she was feeling **bonely**!" The rest of the page was filled with similar jokes. To be honest, Frisk did not know how to feel about the puns.

A sharp gasp caught their attention. "Scandalous! Toriel has rainbow stockings!" Player seemed, to the orphan, a little too interested. "I wish I had some..." Ah, that explains it. Wait, why was she actually going through Mom's clothes? That is so weird...

"Maybe we should look elsewhere..." Frisk suggested, embarrassed about Player's antics.

Of course, she had no argument, exiting the room peacefully. At the end of the hall was a room under renovations. With nothing to see, the two made a U-turn towards the living room. Passing by a certain plant prompted "Oh, it's a water sausage!" from Player. In the living room, Toriel sat reading next to the fireplace.

"Up already, I see?" She asked, looking over her glasses at the children. "Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have company. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug hunting spot," she listed. "I've also prepared a curriculum for your education."

By then, Player stopped listening and began snooping through the bookshelf. She figured she would let Frisk handle the talking. One book in particular held a portion of Monster history. Cool story. Finished with that, she ventured into the kitchen. The rest of the pie sat out in the open, teasing her. However, it was far too big to eat and the drawer lacked knives. Checking the fridge surprised Player. Inside, a chocolate bar from the Surface seemed to wink at her. Too bad she decided to watch her sugar intake.

"I have to do something. Stay here." Toriel's voice sounded urgent.

Player peeked around the corner to see Frisk about to leave. Heart skipping a beat, she ran up to quickly grab their hand. Ignoring their squeak, she led the two of them after the fading footsteps. What did Frisk say that made Toriel run off? It mattered not, she would find out soon.

Downstairs, Goat Mom's profile came into view. "You wish to know how to return 'home,' do you not? Ahead of us lies the end of the ruins - a one-way exit to the rest of the Underground. I am going to destroy it. No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be good children and go upstairs," with that, she took off further into the purple hall.

Giving chase, the duo learned from her sad sighs of exposition that she grieved over the previous children's deaths. She had seen it, and did not wish to see them die as well. Her little tale sank in the depths of their hearts, but not even her warnings could stop them from going.

"You want to leave so badly?" Toriel huffed. "Hmph. You're just like the others. There is only one solution to this," her voice became low. "Prove yourselves...prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

The world around went from violet to pitch black as customary to battles. Frisk's soul exposed itself, the duo receiving the first turn. In the background, music flowed in a way that gave Player a better understanding of how difficult this decision to fight must be. Well, maybe how difficult these past years have been in general.

She pressed the Spare button, recognizing Toriel's expression as one someone set in their way holds. Hey, she was determined too. If what that one Froggit said is true, then constantly sparing Toriel could wear her down into giving up.

To Player's expectation, the first few spares did catch the Monster's attention. Hopefully, this would be worth the burns of fire magic. Probably not, but one could never be too sure.

"What are you doing? Attack or run away!" She asked, her gruff exterior beginning to crack with confusion. Toriel could shoot as much fire as she wanted, it would sting, but did not stop the children from sparing her. "What are you proving in this way? Fight me or leave!"

More fire, more burns, one less pie, and more sparing.

Eventually, the angry act melted, revealing Toriel's usual softness. "I know you want to go home, but...please go upstairs now. I promise I will take good care of you here," she managed a small smile. "I know we don't have much, but...We can have a good life here." Then, that smile drooped. "Why are you making this so difficult? Please, go upstairs."

Neither child budged.

Chuckling weakly, Toriel sighed. "Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child..." Her face hardened as she came to terms with the duo's wishes. "No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here. The ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this." The world was slowly regaining its color. "My expectations...my loneliness...my fear...For you, I will put them aside."

Color returned, but what did that matter when you're on the verge of crying? Frisk caught glimpse of Player wiping at tears before they came sliding down her cheeks. They rubbed her back as Mom continued speaking.

"If you truly wish to leave the ruins...I will not stop you. However, when you leave, please do not come back. I hope you understand." She kneeled down to give the children a proper hug. "Goodbye, dear children," that was the last thing she said before she left.

Looking ahead to the large doors, Frisk took hold of Player's hand again. They could hear her softly sniffle as they walked her through a long hall, light pouring through from somewhere. Farther in they went until seeing Flowey giving them a humored grin.

"Clever. Very clever," it dragged on the "very" with an eye roll. "You think you're really smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed." Somehow, that did not seem to really apply here. "So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person," Flowey snickered. "I bet you feel really great - you didn't kill anybody this time," it scoffed, clearly unimpressed by anything concerning the humans. "But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?" The flower was talking to Player specifically now. "You'll die and you'll die and you'll die until you tire of trying. What will you do then?"

Both children pondered.

Luckily, Flowey provided ideas with that malicious smile from before. "Will you kill out of frustration? Or will you give up entirely on this world?" Its face relaxed a bit. "...and let me inherit the power to control it? I am the prince of this world's future," it bounced on that claim. Flowey began to sway merrily. "Don't worry, my little monarch, my plan isn't regicide. This is _so_ much more interesting," it cackled before sliding into the dirt.

"What the hell was that about?" Player muttered.


	5. Font Brothers

**Font Brothers**

An icy breeze blew gently against Frisk's skin. The pure white of the snowy path nearly blinded them at first. They almost tripped while pushing open incredibly heavy purple doors due to their feet sinking into the slushy ground. When their eyes had finally adjusted to the bright light, Frisk wondered if they had just gone blind. The only thing that kept this thought from being true were the thin black trees that ascended to unknown heights, all evenly spaced out, but densely packed. It fogged on the horizon, obscuring whatever lies ahead.

"Holy shit!" Player cried, rushing past Frisk, hugging herself. She pulled them towards her, the large doors closing instantly. Her arms wrapped around the slightly shorter child, shivering. "It's f-f-fucking cold!"

The sudden cussing surprised Frisk, who now had the luxury of warm breath on their face. "Maybe there'll be a town and we'll be warmer there," they gestured to the path. After all, what was the use of standing around in the cold?

Awkwardly, the two walked through the snow, footsteps crunching in a way that made Player smile. It was eerily quiet as if the temperature wasn't enough to give them a chill. The lack of sound was getting to Player especially. She tightened her hold on Frisk, eyes wandering in a paranoid fashion.

Then, she stumbled, losing her balance for a good five seconds. A lone branch had caused her separation from Frisk's body. It was too thick and heavy for either to break by stepping on it. Chuckling both nervously and in relief, they continued on.

That was when the branch suddenly snapped behind them. The children jumped, choosing to look back as they sped up. It was indeed broken - broken like the last shred of security they had left. Something had to have stepped on that branch. Something big.

A little longer into the walk led to more of Player's paranoia. "Do you hear that?" She would ask occasionally. Both would stop to listen. "There it is! Another set of footsteps!" She looked as though she would start crying. "S-someone's following us..."

"Hey, that's not funny. Don't joke about that kind of stuff!"

"I'm not joking! Why would I joke about something like that?"

Not wanting to dwell on that argument, the pair picked up the pace, eyes wide. A bridge was coming into view from within the fog. They stopped to wonder about the odd decor around it. Was it a shrine? A gate? Whatever it was, it clearly did not have a craftsman's hands behind it.

"D-do you hear that...?" Player asked for the nth time.

Before Frisk could either comfort or chastise her, they heard it too. Clear as day, something crunched through the snow behind them. Neither one could move, they were too scared to. They felt trapped, held in place by some unseen hand.

The footsteps stopped, someone was directly behind Frisk. This made their heart sink with dread until: "Human...don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand."

Frisk turned slowly, eyes squeezed shut. They reached out to grab a hand they could not see. When they did, a long floppy wheeze of air was let out. They opened their eyes to see a skeleton in a blue hoodie smiling at them. Somewhat reassured by that goofy smile, Frisk allowed themself to laugh.

The skeleton also started laughing. "The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's _always_ funny." He seemed pleased until he caught glimpse of Player, who grimaced at the whole scene. "Okay, maybe it's not for everyone. Anyways, you're humans, right? That's hilarious," he chuckled. "I'm Sans, Sans the skeleton."

Player approached sheepishly, trying her best to smile, but came off as queasy. She put out her hand in an offer of a proper handshake, though she had never initiated one before. "C-call me Player..." her breath lightly swirled in the air.

"Alright, Player, nice to meet'cha." It was a mittened hand that she had the pleasure of holding. Yes, holding. Sans shook her delicate hand, which was consumed by his large mitten, for her. Yet, she still did not let go. Then, he noticed why. Her little fingers were carefully pulling off the mitten. He watched as this tiny girl turned his skeletal hand this way and that. It was...amusing.

Playing with each phalange, a sparkle found its way in her eyes. Slowly, but surely, a giddy smile blossomed on her face. "That's _so_ cool! A real skeleton, oh my gosh! I don't even _care_ if it's freezing, this is awesome!" Player squealed, clasping her hand around the bones lovingly.

Laughing, Sans held onto her hand. Doing so, he received another giddy squeal from her. "I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but y'know...I don't really care about capturing anybody." He said this while still watching Player fiddle with his hand. At least she was having a good time. "Now, my brother, Papyrus...He's a human-hunting _fanatic_ ," he addressed Frisk that time, since they were still listening. Sans shook off Player's hand, gesturing for his mitten back while he spoke. "Hey, actually, I think that's him over there. I have an idea - go through this gate thingy."

Frisk raised a brow. So, it _was_ a gate, not an odd decoration. Glancing between Sans and the gate, they felt unsure. This could be a trap and Sans could have lied about not wanting to catch humans. Why would he have stalked them if he was just going to mess with them? On second thought, maybe Frisk should not think about it.

Perhaps sensing Frisk's indecisiveness, the skeleton motioned to get a move on. "Yeah, go right through. My bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone." He nudged the children along over the bridge to a clearing. Footsteps were coming from ahead. "Quick, behind that conveniently-" he stopped short, remembering there were two humans. "Hide!"

The duo scrambled a bit for a hiding spot. Frisk went behind a lamp that just so happened to be big enough, while Player dove behind a sentry station. She peeked over as a tall skeleton in a sort of hero get-up stomped towards Sans.

"'sup, bro?" Sans waved.

"You know what "sup," brother!" Papyrus replied accusingly. "It's been eight days and you still haven't recalibrated. Your. Puzzles! You just hang around outside your station! What are you even doing?"

"Staring at this lamp. It's really cool," the smaller answered casually. "Do you wanna look?"

Even more frustrated that his brother tried to avert his attention, Papyrus stamped his foot. "No! I don't have time for that! What if a human comes through here? I want to be ready!"

The children held their breath, sinking into their spots.

"I will be the one - I must be the one! I will capture a human!" Papyrus grinned confidently as he began to set into a reverie. "Then, I, the Great Papyrus will get all the things I utterly deserve! Respect, recognition...I will finally be able to join the Royal Guard. People will ask to. Be my. 'Friend'? I will bathe in a shower of kisses every morning."

It was around there when Player snorted in an attempt to keep from laughing.

Sans hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe this lamp will help you."

This broke his brother's dreaming. "Sans! You are not helping, you lazy bones!" Papyrus was right back to stamping. "All you do is sit and boondoggle! You get lazier and lazier every day!"

"Hey, take it easy. I've gotten a **ton** of work done today. A skele- **ton** ," the accused winked.

"Sans!" The other says as a warning.

With a chuckle, the warned swayed playfully. "Come on...you're smiling."

Trying not to laugh, Papyrus grit his teeth. "I am and I hate it." He sighed, eying the short skeleton with slight annoyance. "Why does someone as great as me have to do so much just to get some recognition?"

"That's how it works..." Player muttered.

"Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself..." oh, here it comes. "-down to the bone!"

Frisk snorted, nearly losing themself. They had to cover their mouth to keep the laughter inside.

Completely sick of these puns, Papyrus threw his arms into the air with audible disgust. "I will attend to my puzzles...As for your work? Put a little more..." oh, him too? "-'backbone' into it!" He laughed with a pleased expression, though his laugh of "Nyeheheheh!" was enough to make the children tremble in welling giggle fits. At least he was gone.

"Okay, you can come out now," Sans called after a few moments.

Poking their head out from behind the lamp, Frisk confirmed that it was safe. Smiling brightly, they went to help Player onto her feet. At some point she had fallen over...probably from the ridiculousness.

"You oughta get going. He might come back, and if he does, you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes," Sans was still grinning.

Player stared at him, only looking slightly up to lock eyes. She just stared at him with big eyes.

Getting a little embarrassed, he took a step back. "What's the holdup? Look, there's nothin' to be afraid of. It's just a dark cavern full of skeletons and horrible monsters," he shrugged. Even still, she did not budge. "Well?" Sans kept smiling, waiting for her to get bored.

What he did not expect was for her to grab his cheekbones. "You're so cute! How do you exist?" She giggled, getting pulled away by Frisk. What a weird kid.

As they walked, huddled together, Sans called out: "Actually, hey...hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?" They stopped to listen. Ah, good. "I was thinking...my brother's been kind of down lately. He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day." Oh, they look worried. "Don't worry, he's not dangerous, even if he tries to be."

Frisk nodded. "Sure! We'll probably run into him anyway."

"Thanks a million. I'll be up ahead," and he went the opposite direction.

Player could have sworn the skeleton just disappeared into thin air, but maybe it was just the fog. Then she wondered if she humiliated herself. Well, too late now.

They came across a box with a note from a box lover on how it functions. Inside was a pair of red leather gloves, but the color had worn away into a pink hue. Even if they were used for fighting, Frisk decided to use them as winter gloves. Or one at least, giving the other to Player. That way, when they held hands, the other hand would be protected.

Continuing meant coming across the brothers. Now that they stood side by side, Frisk could see that Sans came up to his brother's shoulders. They looked at Player to gauge where she would stand. If she was just two inches shorter than the comedian, then would she meet Papyrus's sternum? Wait, why did Frisk care?

"So, as I was saying about Undyne-" Papyrus suddenly looked in their direction. Surprised, he looked back at Sans, then at the humans, then back at Sans until both were twirling in place. Both brothers spun to where they had their backs to the children. "Sans, oh my god! Are those...humans?"

Glancing back at them before fully turning around, the smaller looked past the duo parallel from them. "Uh...actually, I think that's a rock." Yes, that deflated his brother's excitement for bit. "Hey, but what's that in front of the rock?"

Focusing on the humans completely now, Papyrus smiled. "Oh my god!" He turned to whisper to Sans. "Are they humans?"

"Yes."

Papyrus seemed about ready to twirl again. "Sans, I finally did it!" He clapped, jumping a bit. "Undyne will...I'm gonna...I'll be so popular! Popular, popular!" Realizing his own unprofessional behavior, Papyrus cleared his...throat. "Humans, you shall not pass this area! I, the Great Papyrus, will stop you!"

"You kinda already did, buddy." Player chuckled. "I mean...You're blocking the road."

"Yes, so I can capture you, bring you to the capital, then...I'm not sure. In any case, continue only if you dare! Nyeh heh heh!" With that, the wannabe Royal Guardsman ran off.

"Well, that went well," Sans sighed. "Don't sweat it, I'll keep an eyesocket out for ya." Then, he too sauntered off.

Player gave a "Heh" as she led Frisk after the skeletons. Somewhere in the back of her mind told her she had seen them before, but could not remember where. Her memory never was all that great. She would forget her own birthday if she hadn't placed an alarm for it.

They passed by a cardboard sentry station, running into Snowdrake. Though his puns were a little frosty, he was a pretty cool bird thing. As for his attacks, while chilling in number, dodging was a breeze. It ended rather nicely.

Even farther down the road was another sentry station, but it looked more like a dog themed hutch. There was a sign reading: "Absolutely no moving!" Frisk raised a brow. Why would anyone write that on a sign? This is the only road! It all made sense when a black and white dog peeked out from within the hutch. "Did something move? Was it my imagination?" He muttered to himself, dog treat sticking out from his muzzle. "If something _was_ moving, for example, a human, I'll make sure it never moves again." Was that a warning?

Player stood as still as she could once the bright world turned dark. She shivered, still feeling the wintry chill. Frisk's soul offered some warmth, but not much. Both eyed Doggo cautiously as he swung glowing daggers of light blue this way and that. His daggers phased right through their still bodies and the crimson heart without damage being done. Doggo could not find anything.

Feeling bad for blind(?) dog, Frisk gave him a good pet on the head.

This only made Doggo panic. "What? I've been pet!" Barking, he swung his daggers frantically. Still, they only phased through the duo as they kept their positions. Not finding anything, the world burst back into its eternal winter. "S-s-s-something pet me...Something that isn't moving!" Doggo whimpered. "I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!" He muttered to himself, sliding back down into his station.

Remaining silent, the pair quickly ran until they slipped on ice. Player hit her head on her fall, groaning in an attempt to stay awake, but just gave up.

...

She awoke with a start. "Don't touch me!" She screamed, smacking away someone's hand. Wincing at the impact, she looked up to see Sans rubbing his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry..." Player knew he was still smiling like it was plastered to his face, but she thought she had seen a hint of pain. How could that be? They weren't fighting - the world was still snowy - and she didn't hit hard. Was it her imagination? She hugged the little skeleton. "Sorry!"

"Hey, kid, what's up with you?" He chuckled. "Did I scare ya?"

For some odd reason, Player tried to pick up Sans as she stood. It was a no go. She fell over onto the snow. Just her. Laughing, she sat up and rubbed her head.

"What the hell? Ah, I should've known you were up to something. Alright, explain yourself."

"I dunno. I just thought I could lift your sorrows. I thought...Er...that is to say, I...I don't know. Spur of the moment!" Player fumbled with the right words to justify herself. Nothing else could come up. Sans was staring at her, analyzing her, she could feel it.

His grin got wider. "Did you try to make a joke?"

She was about to state her confusion when Frisk came into view. They looked confused. "Sans...weren't you just with Papyrus in the other clearing...? Now you're back here! And...you're actually looking after Player...like I asked? How...how did...?" Frisk trailed off, unable to sort out anything.

Now Player was even more confused. "What...?" The pounding headache made it hard to focus on anything other than the pain of a pulsating brain. "Can we just go?" She stood up, wobbly at first.

Frisk held onto her to support her fawn-like steps. "Later, Sans!" They said with an apologetic smile. With some distance between the ice lake and the children, Frisk explained the invisible maze to Player. Even though she probably tuned them out, they went on about the confusion of where she went. "Papyrus was worried Doggo caught you before he did," they chuckled.

"Hey, you wanna eat some nice cream?" With that hopeful question, a frozen treat shaped like a blonde bearded goat waved into Player's sight. "The nice cream man said this is the king. You should've seen all the nice creams! They look just like the monsters, but cute!" Frisk gushed, eyes twinkling at the memory.

Their friend took the popsicle, examining it before getting disgusted at the thought of licking a monster's face. She shook her head to clear it, popping the little crown into her mouth. There was a message tied to the stick: "Love yourself! I love you!" How cute.

Her foot kicked something. A large snowball rolled away. She kicked it again, again, and again. At some point, Frisk took over, kicking the snowball into a hole. A purple flag raised itself out of the ground along with two gold coins. The two played this game for a good while.

"Okay, I think that's enough," Player said through the piece of nice cream she was currently biting into. Once she turned around, she spotted Sans standing idly. Her heart jumped. "Hey..." she managed.

Seeing her nice cream, he lit up, but not too much. "I've been thinking about selling treats too. Want some fried snow? It's just five gold."

"Isn't that just wa-"

"Ooh, yes please!" Frisk cheered.

Sans got a smug smirk then. "Did I say five gold? I meant fifty."

Frisk still insisted, nodding. "Yes, I've got enough for that!"

"No thank you, Sansy. We'll...oh shit...the fuck did I just...?" Player nearly crumbled at the realization of what she said. "Sansy...Sans. Sans, my man. Sansy Sans Samson, fuck!" She broke into hysterical laughter.

"Hey, don't wear out the name and keep it down, would ya?" He shushed.

"Sorry..." she nibbled on the popsicle stick, twiddling her fingers. Her pale cheeks gradually became rosy. Player tried hiding this with her hair, it was like a brown bouncy curtain. Of course, this could only work for her right side.

Before an awkward silence could fully settle in, Frisk pulled the girl away from it. "Bye, Sans!" They called, though they knew they would see him again. Their little footprints in the snow were followed by even more. Poor Player cannot stop embarrassing herself, could she?

The children made it to an area as tall as the pine trees. It seems the brothers were already waiting. How does Sans keep beating them to locations? How is it that he can appear like he has been there the whole time? Frisk's mind buzzed with questions.

"Humans!" Papyrus...greeted? "I hope you're ready for..." he paused to look around. "Sans, where's the puzzle?"

"It's right there, on the ground. Trust me, there's no way they can get past this one."

A word search lay on the cleared pavement. Frisk picked it up to try it, but Player found all the words in just a few seconds. So, they put it back where they found it. Then, all they had to do was step over it.

"Sans, that didn't do anything!" Captain Papyrus Obvious complained.

"Whoops. I knew I should have used today's crossword instead," little Blue sighed.

"What?" Dumbfounded, Papyrus leaned in to be his brother's level. "Crossword?" He jumped back, straight as an uncooked noodle. "I can't believe you said that," he added to the disapproval with a shake of the head. "In my opinion, junior jumble is easily the hardest."

Now it was time for Sans to be surprised. "What? Really, dude? That easy-peasy word scramble?" He scoffed. "That's for baby bones."

However, big Orange slumped, almost insulted. "Unbelievable." A little after saying that, he lit up. "Humans! Solve this dispute!"

"Crossword puzzles are harder. It's just...ya either know it or ya don't," Player offered her answer.

Beside her, Frisk nodded in agreement. It reminded them of the butterscotch over cinnamon choice. Player had picked cinnamon and Frisk merely agreed. In all honesty, Frisk just felt that whatever this girl chose would be right. Even if she was actually wrong.

"You're all weird!" Papyrus, though upset, was still upbeat. "Crosswords are so easy - it's the same solution every time. I just fill all the boxes in with the letter 'Z' because every time I look at a crossword, all I can do is snore!" He laughed his way to somewhere.

Sans sighed in fascination. "Papyrus...finds difficulty in interesting places. Yesterday, he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope."

"Oh...?" Frisk flashed a polite smile.

Walking by led to a save point and some spaghetti. Player immediately rushed to the plate, trying desperately to jab the fork into the pasta. She knew from the letter that it was intended to be a trap, but nothing could stop her love of food. Frisk giggled at her feeble attempts to stab the frozen spaghetti. They tried to help her move the plate to the microwave, but it was stuck to the table. Maybe the mouse would one day figure it out. For now, Player would have to settle with half of a spider donut.


	6. Player Drama

**Player Drama**

"Is there a t-town ahead yet? I d-don't think I c-can keep this up..." Player's sleepy voice came out softly, breath barely visible. She leaned against Frisk, her energy having been spent on solving puzzles, talking to skeletons, dodging monster attacks, and petting dogs. No game overs either! Her body shivered, vibrations shaking off snowflakes.

Trying their best to keep her on her feet, Frisk strained their eyes. There, the smokey silhouettes of buildings in the fog gradually coming into view. They jostled the girl to get her drooping head to take a gander. A relieved smile broke through upon hearing her shuddery chuckle.

They had to be quick now. Player's body was becoming heavier with exhaustion, which Frisk thought would be dangerous if she fell asleep in the cold. No longer able to hold her up with their arm alone, they leaned her back into that arm and swung the other under her knees. Carefully, but swiftly, they lifted her like she weighed nothing (she really was light), close to them to keep her warm. Just by how soon she had lost consciousness worried Frisk into running into Snowdin.

Monsters turned their heads at the sound of hurried, fumbling steps crunching loudly through the snow. At first, it was confusion, next was alarm as a child carried another child(?) into town. The one in stripes appeared scared, a hint of helplessness in their eyes. It seems to be that their friend in black needed attention of some kind. This sleeping child did not show any signs of being in a critical condition. Then again, none of the monsters there knew much about humans or what was considered troublesome to them.

A crowd gathered around the children, the striped one begging for help. They seemed to believe their friend was dying from the cold. Skepticism rose amongst the monsters, but, again, what did they know? Still under the impression that the girl was simply sleeping, a few monsters still offered to take a look.

Her skin was icy, but that was to be expected from such weather. There was still some flush to the pale skin, though her nails were turning purple. Well, that is nothing out of ordinary. If the striped human should be concerned, it should be about getting the girl out of the cold. Yet, something told them that the human would not be satisfied without a full report.

So, to humor the thought, a rabbit humanoid stepped out from the crowd to offer her service. Not wanting to frighten the already shaken human, she got on her knees with a reassuring smile. "Let's take a look at your souls, sweetie." Her palms faced Frisk, her head bowed slightly as to show her lack of malice.

The world kept its eternal winter, but a red heart still revealed itself to the ring of monsters, who gasped with oddly calm expressions. The bunny's soul hovered in front of her chest, also a heart, but light gray in color. If her soul had been one shade lighter, it would have been white. She nodded her approval of Frisk's healthy, bright soul.

Now, she slowly stretched her arms out for Player.

Frisk looked unsure, clutching the body closer reflexively.

"I won't hurt her, I promise," came the bunny's sweet whisper. With the child in black in arms, she focused onto reaching out to the soul residing within.

Once more did the soul reminiscent of dust expose itself. However, there was no other soul to greet it. Confused, the lady poked and prodded gently at Player's upper chest to coax the soul out. There had been a flash of silver, then nothing. Her eyes went wide with disbelief. She poked again. Another burst of light, then more nothingness.

The other monsters must not have seen the soul since many muttered questions of what was wrong. Of course, she dismissed them with a smile.

Turning to Frisk, she suggested "Maybe we should get her somewhere warm first."

...

Player's mind woke before her body did. She shook, groaning. "Nngh...Curtis...Hey, Curtis, what time is-?" Her hand that had been patting the space beside her found nothing but blankets. Unable to feel the very kid she was hoping to find, her eyes snapped open, body launching upright in bed. "Buddy?" She nearly screeched, looking around.

Thoughts plagued with anxiety piled one after another in her head, making her chest constrict. Where was she? An inn, judging by the clean smell and faint snoring of neighbors. She wanted to relax, but could not help but worry about how she got there. Well, the kid probably got the room. Did they go out to find money? Yes, of course they did. Her breathing began to regain its natural tempo, the terror melting away the more Player convinced herself that she was safe.

Even still, she had doubts eating her little mind.

Not entirely comfortable with any of this, she hesitantly got out of bed and left the room. Her footsteps barely made a sound on the wooden floor, but made small creaks on the stairs. The lobby's silence bothered Player as it allowed more voices to yell at her within her cloud ridden mindscape. She headed towards the front desk, where a pinkish rabbit smiled at her. "Excuse me, but did a boy come through here?" She squeaked the question.

The rabbit raised a brow. "I don't know about a boy, but if you're talking about your friend, yes. They left two hours ago. You've been asleep for a while."

"Did they say where they were going?"

"Well..." the innkeeper thought.

"They went to find gold!" A small rabbit child hopped from behind the desk.

Giving a quick smile, Player rushed out the door. Shocked by the cold, she hugged herself tightly. Her eyes darted this way and that, looking for a sign of Curtis - as she knew them. She let her legs take her around town aimlessly, feeling her soul shake for once. Uneasiness set in with the eyes of local monsters watching her from all angles, some whispering. She thought one of them called her title. Shivering, she brushed it off as simple paranoia. The frosty breeze worked as a reminder that it was certainly too chilly for Player to be walking around with just a turtleneck for warmth.

She pushed through the first door she saw, feeling the tingling sensation of her fingertips defrosting upon touch. A puff of a happy, relieved breath escaped her, the small smile carrying her into the building. Immediately, she was welcomed with the embrace only a fan of heat would enjoy. While she could not place a proper description for how she felt, Player glanced around at the familiar dog guards sitting off to her left and other monsters drinking to her right. Quick-stepping her way to the bar, she waved sheepishly to everyone, who then looked away. They acknowledged her and she was fine with that.

Taking a seat, she rested her head into folded arms, sighing. It felt as though she could sleep right there inside this roasting atmosphere...but found it hard. Something was right in front of her. It was hot, but not. Safe, but also dangerous. She raised her head, confused about how everything blurred as though she got hit in the face. Then, she realized that it was a fire she was staring at...and it was staring right back with a glaring light lost somewhere within. She felt it was a mutual curiosity between them. The orange flames danced gracefully. Mesmerized, Player could not look away.

Someone cleared their throat. She ignored them. They tried again, louder this time. Player almost wanted to growl at them, but kept quiet. Then, someone else said: "Grillby said you're making him nervous."

Snapping out of some kind of spell, Player blinked. She looked the flaming man up and down, the fact that he had been the fire she watched finally set in. Chuckling in her usual awkwardness, she sat upright and placed her hands in her lap. This was one of the rare times Player had gotten the need to show she could be ladylike. "Hey, hottie, have you seen another human around? He wears a striped sweater," the words came out with the rush of recovering embarrassment. Her face suddenly lost its nervous charm, twisting into a sort of panic. Had she just called this fire...man...bartender...waiter - Grillby - what she thought she just did? Oh great, first impression: Hi, you're made of fire, so I'm going to possibly offend you by being pun-a-riffic with the flirtation because why not?

Picking up on Player's humiliation, Grillby made to get her a drink, but hesitated. Was she a child or an adult? Unable to pinpoint the girl's age, he decided to answer her question by pointing out the door. However, she did not see this since her head found its way back on the counter.

Where was that kid when she needed them? Sure, she had not gotten yelled at for being offensive, but she still had no idea where she was. At least she was warm and safe. For now. Even Grillby's presence gave her some peace. He was an easy sight for sore eyes. Well, maybe not literally, but it was still a plus. Yet, Player found herself feeling lost deep within her soul. It was like her soul yearned to be near Curtis. Err...the kid. Since Player did not know their real name, neither her or her soul could call out for them.

Meanwhile...

Frisk closed yet another book about monsterkind and sighed. They put the book back in its place on the shelf, sat on the floor, pulled out their coin purse, and began counting coins. It would be a while before Player wakes up, Frisk thought. They had left their friend at the inn to find gold buried in the snow for the fee. Seeing as they had enough, they got up, pouring the coins back into the purse. Frisk left quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone. They walked through town, hearing monsters whisper about the human and Player.

Someone had called for Player. It was a familiar voice - energetic and confident. There was a flicker of red before the inn door closed. Intrigued, the child entered, surprised to see Papyrus looking up the staircase in concerned disbelief. "Are you sure she's gone?" He asked the innkeeper.

"Yes, she left not too long ago looking for..." the rabbit's eyes shifted to Frisk. "You..."

"She left?" Now it was Frisk's turn to stare.

Papyrus turned to face them. "Human! I have an idea!" He ushered them gently out despite their argument. "We should search for Player. You look around here and the Great Papyrus shall patrol over there," he pointed further east of Snowdin. "Remember, if I find her first, I get to capture you both! Nyeh heheheh!" With that, he ran off, obscured by fog.

Puzzled, Frisk went back inside the inn to pay off Player's fee before truly wandering. They wondered why Papyrus had dropped by, and why he called for the girl. Had he already searched for her in this section and came back just in case? That felt like the true answer. After all, she could not have gone far. Not in this weather.

Having paced around for some time landed them in front of a sort of diner. They peeked through the window, feeling heat radiating from the other side. There. Player was sitting slouched over. Happy to see her, Frisk threw open the door, instantly bombarded by hot air, and jogged inside. They slowed to a tiptoe as they approached.

"Hey...Sorry, I left you." Slowly, they reached out a hand to shake her.

Their wrist was seized by her hand. "Dude..." she mumbled, locking eyes. "At least leave me a note next time." No other words left her now quivering lips. Her arms wrapped around the child's shoulders.

Clicking their tongue in a pitiful way, Frisk held her close. "I was studying at the library. The sign's wrong. Heh..." They guided her off the bar stool, smiling up at Grillby. "Thanks for watching over her for me!"

Huddled together, the duo walked through town, munching on cinnabuns. Frisk told little fun facts about certain parts and a very odd knocking scene to Player on their way to the docks. Then, a thought occurred to the striped child. They remembered the horrified expression of the nice bunny lady. This made them wonder about Player's soul. "Hey, so...can I-?"

Ringing cut off Frisk, grabbing the children's attention. Player answered the call. A strange voice came through the grainy audio: "Hello? Can I speak to G-?" A slight pause. "Wait a second...Is this the wrong number?" What followed was a cutesy wrong number song before Player hung up.

"Okay...That happened..." she chuckled. "Hope they find the right number!" Even though that phrase meant the end of that, her eyes held a curious twinkle to them. That meant something was occupying her thoughts.

This destroyed all the hope Frisk had of getting to finish their question. They really did want to ask if they could engage her in battle. It was their only idea they had to getting to see Player's soul.

...

Dense fog made it nearly impossible for the humans to see anything ahead. Player squeezed Frisk's hand just to ensure they were still there. Snow no longer swallowed their feet with each step, and the air felt warmer. They both continued, stopping once a tall silhouette appeared.

"Papyrus?" Frisk breathed.

"Papyrus!" Player called out, a pebble in hand. Was she really going to throw it?

The shadow shook. "Humans!" Ah, so he heard. "I see you've found each other. Good, good for you! But, I'm afraid I cannot let you pass through..." An outline of a large, what Player guessed, femur came out of thin air in his hand. "As much as you have shown to value the same things as the Great Papyrus, I cannot be your friend. I must capture you to fulfill my lifelong dream!"

The fog vanished as the world lost its color within the darkness of battle. To the children, this did not seem to fit the bright, upbeat skeleton in front of them. Having the first turn, Player checked Papyrus for his stats. His signature laugh caught her off guard, causing her to laugh, which got Frisk to join in. Three bone-shaped bullets strolled slowly towards their soul. The child merely stepped to the side.

Still lingering in the ACT menu, the pair looked at the other options. Both made a disapproving face at the insult button before staring at the one beside check. Frisk gave Player a mischievous smirk, teasingly pushing down on the flirt button painfully slow. With the button pressed, she had no choice but to say something.

"Hey, sexy bones, is that all you've got? C'mon, there's no need to be shy!" Player seriously wanted to punch herself for saying something that awful. Even her little wink and attempt at making her voice seductive failed to meet her standards. When Frisk's voice and actions mingled with hers, she felt defeated. This kid had all the confidence in the world to pull of the beckoning pose, and an expression that just disturbed Player.

It sure caught their target off guard. "What? Fl-flirting?" Papyrus took a while to get his usual smile back. "So you finally reveal your ultimate feelings! W-well...!" Okay, is he just going to keep stuttering? Seeing this was actually...really cute. "I'm a skeleton with very high standards!" He said this matter-of-factly in a way that deflated Player's already low self-esteem.

"I...I can make spaghetti..." she offered. Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind really wanted to tell her opponent that she had zero redeeming qualities. Frisk knew this from the way she stared at the ground.

Yet..."Oh no! You're meeting all my standards!" got her head to whip back up with pleased shock. Papyrus posed in defeat, gracefully and somehow playfully. "I guess this means I have to go on a date with you...?"

Snapping to full attention, the skeleton sent three more bones. "Let's date l-later - after I capture you!"

Side-stepping again, Frisk pressed the spare button, setting their stick onto the ground. Both children raised their hands up as if to surrender as they took a step back. They bowed their heads slightly, smiling.

Papyrus drummed his fingers on his hip thoughtfully. "So you won't fight..." Nodding, he seemed to be preparing another attack. "Then, let's see if you can handle my fabled 'blue attack!'" He sent out several light blue bones in a disparity of sizes.

Recognizing what that color meant, the two stood still. As much as it tickled, they had to remain motionless while the bones phased through. When all the odd bullets vanished, Player huffed a proud breath. She was about to comment on how easy that was to Frisk when both of them fell straight to the ground. Their bodies felt incredibly heavy, like a weight had suddenly been thrown onto their backs. She glanced around for an answer, her eyes settling onto her partner's soul. It was a deep blue.

Before either child could react, a small bone strolled right into Frisk's soul.

"You're blue now."

The music playing from somewhere got an upgrade. Player would dance had her body not felt like it weighed a ton.

...

Sitting on a plush dog bed, Player picked up a dog bowl full of spaghetti. She chuckled softly to herself. "I'm really bad at this..." Her eyes fell onto Frisk, who was balancing a bone chew toy on their nose. "I'm sorry, bud. I got us captured, like what, four times?"

Frisk let the toy fall in order to talk to her properly. "Well...we could escape, try again, and see if we can make it to the end."

"You said that already..." Player mumbled through the spaghetti in her mouth. She was too upset to be bothered by the burnt portions. As she nibbled, she wondered if she should still eat after having eaten the previous dishes of dried food and cut up hot dog.

A text box popped up above her. It read: *You can feel yourself getting fat as you eat away your sorrows.

Disgusted by the truth, she pushed away the empty bowl angrily. "Okay...one more try. Though, judging by this note, we probably...should stop." She waved the paper full of scribbles in front of Frisk. Mimicking Papyrus, she repeated the message: "Humans, if you want to live here, why didn't you say so? Wait, I wrote that last time. Nyeh..." The rest of the note had been frustrated chicken scratch.

The two nodded a silent agreement as they walked back to the foggy area. Upon seeing a slightly bonetrousled, tired, but still prepared Papyrus waiting for them, the children felt equally so. He approached them this time, unable to decide on appearing peeved or surprised. "Why do you still come back here? I really don't think I can keep fighting you, honestly. After all..." he slumped with a sigh. "You both seem very determined to see me, yet you continue for a fight. Do you just want to train? Even so..."

Cutting him off, Player dropped her toy knife. "Papy," she began in exhaustion. "We're tired too. Look, we miss seeing your face, we like being around you, but I just want to prove to you that I am strong. Strong enough to make it to the end!" Her arms, which had been waving around like crazy, fell to her sides. "Let's be friends so I can spare you any more bullshit I've got."

Both Frisk and Papyrus stared at her in confusion. She had spoken so quickly that the only thing that registered was an offer of friendship. They smiled at her, and she smiled back. "We haven't even had our first date yet and I've already managed to hit the friend zone! Wowie," was what left her new bone friend.

So done with all of it, Player flopped backward into the dwindling snow. When her friends bought into the act that she might have passed out, she threw her arms around Papyrus, who was too tall to hug standing up. He stood up, practically cradling her. She could have just tried to get this result by hopping like a child until he picked her up, but this was less work than being cute.

"Let's have that date..." Frisk heard her mumble in her sleep.


	7. Dating but Not

**Dating...but Not**

Frisk eyed Player wearily, clutching her limp hand while Papyrus fumbled to unlock the door. He adjusted his grip on the girl, then turned the key until it clicked. "I've been meaning to ask this, but I was not sure if I should," he began as they entered. "Why do you two always do that?"

It took them a while to understand that the skeleton meant the hand-holding. "Oh...It's so we don't get lost. That's what Player told me."

A little groan from said human caught their attention. "But, if taken out of context, it could be seen as a sign of dating," her voice came out groggily. She swung her arm playfully, moving Frisk's as well.

"Dating?" Papyrus repeated.

"Ah! That's not what I-! No, we're not...How could we?" Player panicked, careful not to hit him as she scrambled about. Her smile faltered.

"Well, if you both are dating me, then you must be dating each other!" She wished he had not smiled saying that.

Placed on her feet, Player stared up at Papyrus with disbelief. What kind of logic does he work with? She heaved a sigh, totally at a loss for words. Shrugging it off, she settled on snooping through everything she could.

The child followed her into the kitchen. They found her staring wide-eyed at the sink. Seeing as she just stood there, they pointed at the sink with a dazed expression.

"Impressed?" Papyrus poked his head in. "I have increased the height of my sink! Now I can fit more bones under it! Take a looksy!" He smiled reassuringly.

Frisk opened the cabinet, expecting a pile of bones to crush both them and Player. However, that did not happen. Instead, a white dog munched on a singular bone. It became alert after hearing Papyrus share his own surprise, dashing out. Still processing the situation, Frisk watched as Player dove face first into the door. She was probably really close to catching the dog - she seemed mad enough.

So did Papyrus, especially after Sans played the sad tune of failure on the trombone. "Sans! Stop plaguing my life with incidental music!"

Rubbing her injured nose, Player sniffed in a peeved manner. She continued her searching, which Frisk did not understand. They worried her antics might bother their host, so they decided to distract him with a little conversation. All the while, they could hear their friend mess around in the kitchen before heading upstairs. They think they were telling Papyrus a story about Peter Cottontail when the creaking of stairs interrupted. Player was knocking on Sans's door, an odd fiery glow washing her blue then orange.

From down there, Frisk could not make perfect sense of what she was saying. They saw her blink into a surprised expression before seeing her giggle. She knocked again, this time with a purpose. They could hear a muffled mumble from the other side. Player's lips moved with an eager smile. Another mumble. Now, she said something with excitement. It sounded like she had said: "That's right, owls hoo!" Frisk heard Sans chuckle in response.

"Are they telling knock knock jokes up there?" The skeleton beside them sighed.

Player mumbled something to the door before walking over towards the door covered in signs. She had a goofy grin on her face, beaming at the two looking back at her. Someone looks like they had a good time. Glancing around, she came back down to investigate some more. Her movements were faster, making Papyrus jog to keep up.

Frisk was impressed - energy burned within Player. They pondered over this, already used to her more emotionless snooping. Maybe it was pride that moved her. Yes, her being proud of a successful joke must be it. The orphan frowned. If that were true, then had she failed before? They shook off the thought. No, she must be happy because she's nervous.

Blinking, Frisk found themself upstairs, being pulled by an anxious hand. Player was giggling like she knew a secret. Papyrus had rushed into his room, they followed slowly after. What happened? Did they miss out on something? They wanted to ask Player, but took a moment to take in how neat the room appeared. Everything had a place, and everything was in its place. This made Frisk want to touch every single item.

They admired the pirate flag, listening to Papyrus explain his thoughts. Hearing one piece that felt off, they thought they heard Player mutter "It's just a symbol of death, honey." There was a certain way she said "honey" that kept them paused in confusion. It was said so casually, but felt it was wrapped in a sort of pity. The sweet kind, sweet like the word itself.

The next few minutes passed swiftly with the enthusiastic cheer of Papyrus mingled with Player's droning responses. It turns out the two were informing each other as well as Frisk on several things about the Internet and...books apparently. Now, they had unnecessary knowledge on how to become popular, what was popular, and the do's and don'ts. In fact, they had become so bored of their friends' talk, they moved to examine a table covered with action figures. Their bone friend got these from Santa.

Everything went dark, startling Frisk, who bumped into Player's side. Papyrus stood in front of them with a wide grin. "Here we are - on our date!" What the heck? When did they actually engage him? Frisk looked to the girl for an answer, but she was reading a rulebook with the skeleton. A virtual keyboard appeared for a brief moment beside her, vanishing with a single press of a key. Various doodads flew in from nowhere around the trio. Frisk inched closer just as Papyrus peered awkwardly over the book at the children. "Humans! I, the Great Papyrus will go on a date with you!"

Player chuckled. "Yes, and we'll go on a date with you." Even Frisk's mouth uttered the same words.

Well, it certainly made Papyrus happy...to the point of blushing. What? Skeletons can blush?

Part three was where things went downhill. It completely broke the confident facade Player wore, revealing her true feelings. The humans were tasked with finding the secret to the special clothes the Great Papyrus had changed into. Player covered her mouth, making odd noises as her cheeks flushed. Her eyes wandered, but they always came back to one point. Frisk followed her line of sight and cleared their throat to hide their scolding of "No, Player." Even still, her finger flicked towards that point, moving Frisk's soul to it.

"There's no secret to my legs. Just hard work and perseverance!"

Sighing, Frisk moved Player's finger to point to Papyrus's hat. They gave her a nudge, only getting an innocent giggle.

At the end of it all with the lingering taste of bad spaghetti, Frisk held onto a blushing girl as their captive. Receiving a new phone-number, and being friend-zoned left her staring at the ground. Yet, she had a trap lying in wait. She looked up at the skeleton with the classic childish move of puppy eyes. "Wait, Paps!" Her arms reached up, and she started to hop.

It was at this moment Frisk wondered just how old Player was. Was it just them, or did she get younger? No, it was the trap. They don't know how she managed to suddenly appear so, but it took the child for a loopy loop. She was a teenager, but no matter how Frisk looked at her...she felt like a little girl - the kind to wear nice starched dresses and ribbons.

The trap was set! With the spell of utter cuteness cast, Player was lifted into a hug. She smiled deviously, planting a kiss randomly on Papyrus. He may not have lips, but she did! Frisk stared, mouth agape. They knew it was bound to happen, but...now? Did she not realize she just kissed his teeth? That's the equivalent to, say, if she had kissed _them_ on the lips. In other words...

A true kiss!

Papyrus was speechless. He set Player down gently, his arms trembling. Then, he exited hastily, sweat daring to break out.

Looking at the girl, Frisk saw that even the horror on her face did nothing to wash away the bright red. She had a hand over her mouth, barely touching it as if she were scared to. "Oops...I...can't move..." was what left her shaky profile.

...

Frisk must have dragged Player about twenty times now. Whether it was if she was tired, embarrassed to the point of immobilization, cold, or just distracted, it was their job to pull her away. They were glad she barely weighed anything - it made their life easier. Just now felt like maybe the twenty-second time.

The two were chatting with the customers at Grillby's when a certain girl was about to do something stupid. She really seemed attached to the owner of the establishment, sitting in the seat he happened to be standing in front of. Her crooked smile, as Frisk learned to recognize by now, meant she was having trouble finding what she really wanted to say. They overheard her stuttering as she fumbled with her words. It sounded like she was trying to compliment Grillby without being offensive.

What struck Frisk's, they guessed, "bros for life" cord had been Player's hand. Her hand was twitching again, slowly making its way towards Grillby. Having seen this movement with her reaction to skeletons and dogs, they knew she wanted to touch his flaming skin. Even though they knew she would not get burned badly, Frisk could not risk it. They quickly held Player's wandering hand down.

"You okay there?" They asked her.

Caught off guard, Player paused as she assessed the situation. Her eyebrows raised at the answer, eyes glancing between their hands and the distance from them to Grillby. "Ah! Yeah...Do I not look okay?" She asked it calmly so as not to raise questions.

The child grinned almost knowingly. "I don't think we should keep bothering the citizens here," they whispered sadly. "I also don't want to see you freeze to death."

Reluctantly, Player allowed herself to be pulled from Snowdin. Frisk did have a point: she could not stay here, it was too cold for her. She had never liked the cold, it always got to her even if the temperature dropped just the tiniest bit. Now that she thought about it, she really was sensitive to change. It was people like Frisk who amazed her - people who did not let even the slightest chill get to them. Maybe they were the lucky type with a naturally hot core to them. After all, Frisk had warm hands.

The air felt heavy. It pressed on Player's chest, moist on her face. She shook away the remaining cloudiness of her thoughts to wonder why it suddenly got dark. There was no crunching of snow beneath her feet either. At least she felt pleasantly warm within the humidity. She squeezed Frisk's hand to make sure they were still there.

A faint bluish light trickled like water from somewhere ahead. The duo wanted to find the source, but stopped. Right beside them was a ledge with water flowing off its side. An armless, spiny monster child glanced in every direction. He settled his gaze on them, smiling brightly.

"Did you guys sneak out to see her, too?"

"Who...?" The humans asked timidly.

"Undyne! Who else?" Giggling, the little creature hopped. "She lives here in Waterfall, and if we make it, we might see her do something awesome!" Without waiting for any response, he jogged farther into the darkness.

Confused, the humans looked at each other. Unable to understand what just happened, they took a few more steps. They came across a large blue flower that seemed to move like it was talking. At Player's touch, it whispered to the children: "This is an Echo Flower. It repeats the last thing it heard over and over..."

Chuckling, she leaned closer to the round petals. "All hail the Great Papyrus!"

"All hail the Great Papyrus!"

Both children laughed, causing the Echo Flower to mimic them.

"Well...you guys look like you're having fun," a voice mumbled. Turning to find the source led to Sans sitting at a sentry station. He waved at them and they came running over. "So...what brings you to Waterfall? I thought for sure Papyrus caught ya."

"He did..." Frisk answered.

"Ah, so you escaped." He glanced at Player, who was staring at him again. It was an analytical gaze rather than the fascinated one she had before. "What? You never seen a guy with two jobs before?" Oh, she's about to say something! "Well, it means twice as many legally required breaks. I'm going to Grillby's. Wanna come?"

When she smiled, Sans wondered if he did something wrong. "Sans..." she purred. "Are you asking us out on a date?"

"It's not a date!" He hastily replied, nearly falling out of his seat. "H-how could it be? There are three of us! One is a pity party, two is a date, and three's a hangout."

The kid beside her snorted, trapping their laugh inside. "That sounds like an excuse."

Nodding her agreement, Player fiddled with her fingers. "A date, my dear," she began slowly, locking eyes with him. "-is spending quality time with someone you care about. It doesn't matter if it's platonic or romantic, a date is a date. Even if you have multiple people. Sure, it's more accepted to call that a hangout, but that's just the shyness talking."

Sans eyed her warily. This...Was this the same Player that panicked at the mere mention of romance? He remembered asking her about the hand-holding after the tile color maze. She had tried making excuses as to why she held his hand when they met. "Sorry, I just...I really like bones! They're so cool and you're a skeleton, so I wanted to see the real deal!" That's what he remembered her blubbering. Even when he teased her, she had denied being romantically interested. Yet, now was different.

Not believing that Player had suddenly become accustomed to the idea, Sans leaned forward. Two could play at this game. "Okay, so what I'm getting from this is that you really want to turn this into some kind of romantic outing."

Ah, here comes the surprised expression. She blinked at first, but was laughing the next second. "No, I was just stating a fact! I'm telling you not to be so shy about admitting that you like m-" she paused. "-us!" Her feline smile wavered.

Smiling as much as his bony face would allow, Sans leaned in more. This made the girl flinch, her companion's eyes going wide with deep interest. "Sure I like you - you both have kind souls... _Sweetheart_."

Player's bravado cracked. She brushed her bangs in an attempt to hide her blush. "Wh-who are you referring to...exactly?"

He chuckled, pulling her hand away. "You." Checkmate.

With an odd cry similar to as if she got punched in the gut, she glanced at Frisk for help. "I...You...you said...Me? Me, a sweetheart? Ah...But...but...I'm...But they," she gestured to the kid. "-they're the sweetheart, not me!"

Feigning hurt, the skeleton intertwined his fingers with hers. That's when she finally noticed the lack of mittens. "See? Wish granted, we're going out!"

Speechless, Player gestured for Frisk to say something.

"What about me? We're going as a group, right?" They finally said, voice full of giggles.

"Of course, kiddo!" Releasing Player's hand, Sans flung out of his chair, and headed towards the watery light. "This way, I know a shortcut," he grinned.

It had happened in an instant. One moment Frisk was walking with their seemingly flirty friends, then next thing they knew, they landed inside of Grillby's. Yes, landed. The sensation of landing from, say, a hop puzzled them. They did not jump nor do they remember jumping. Apparently, Player was also in the same boat - having no idea how they got there. However, she was clutching her chest as if to hold it together. Frisk noticed they were too. A pressure lifted from them as quickly as it had been placed.

"Fast shortcut, huh?" Sans smirked over his shoulder. "Hey, everyone," he waved.

The Dogi greeted him with impatient eyes, the drunk rabbit winked, the strange creature with the biggest mouth bobbed his head in acknowledgement, and the others waved back. The homely old fish then said "Hey, Sans, weren't you just here for breakfast a few minutes ago?"

"Nah, I haven't had breakfast in at least half an hour. You must be thinking of brunch."

And the whole room laughed. Except Frisk, and Grillby. Player gave a polite snicker, but she wasn't really enjoying herself. The child tugged on her sleeve. "What's everyone laughing at?" They whispered. Their answer was that brunch is what you eat in between breakfast and lunch. So, the joke was that Sans came in to eat both breakfast and brunch. Also part of the joke is that he's here for lunch. Finally understanding this made Frisk frown. "Doesn't Sans ever eat at home," they tried to ask her, but she furrowed her brow in disapproval. It was the kind of look a mother gives to child being rude at a friend's house. How old was Player, again?

Once the laughter died, Sans whistled at the children while gesturing to some open seats. "Here, get comfy." He waited with that plastered grin. Said grin got bigger when Frisk sat down, a floppy wheeze sputtering out. "Whoops, watch where ya sit - sometimes weirdos put whoopee cushions on the seats."

Player raised a brow. "Uh-huh..." She sat on the right of him, grimacing. Frisk thought that was bad when she did that because she made sure not to make such mean faces. They thought it meant she was starting to think less of their big-boned friend.

Perhaps feeling the disgust radiating from her scowl, Sans looked away. "Anyway...let's order. Whaddya want...?" He faced the orphan, probably because they weren't the one silently judging him.

Not the one in charge, Frisk glanced over to the girl. They knew she would be full from all the eating she already did, so a burger was out of the question. "Fries," they smiled. Player totally looked like a fry girl - she was close to being one herself anyway! "Ah! But maybe you and I should switch. I'll share with Player!"

The skeleton gave a look that almost asked "Share? What do you mean 'share'?" Regardless, he turned to Grillby, requested the double order, then slid off his stool. After exchanging seats, he turned to face the duo. "Uh...So, what do you think of my brother?"

"He's so cool!" Frisk cheered.

"Of course he's cool." Yay, he looks happy again. "You'd be cool too if you wore that outfit every day. He'd only take that thing off if he absolutely had to." Chuckles, those are a good sign! "Oh well. At least he washes it," he began snickering. "-and by that I mean he wears it in the shower."

A bark of laughter escaped Player, who clamped a hand onto her mouth. With eyes on her, her cheeks turned pink. "Sorry..." she mumbled.

Grillby came back to set down two baskets of fries. Frisk really wished they hadn't noticed their partner's attempt at getting the bartender's attention. It not only made them feel guilty for looking, but also upset that she had no interest in talking to Sans. So, they nudged her. Before she could understand why, a bottle of ketchup was being offered.

"Want some?" A bony hand shook the plastic thing into her view.

Eying it like it insulted her, Player gently pushed it away. "No, thank you..." Oh no, she did not even see that their hands touched. It would have been hilarious.

Sans shrugged. "More for me then," and he chugged the whole bottle.

Both children took fries to munch on, every now and then bumping their hands into each other. The contact was nothing new, so it really was no big deal. Yet, Frisk couldn't help but think it was. They listened to their friends talk, but didn't focus on the words. It sounded like Sans was telling a story, and Player reacted with little commentary. Either way, they paid more attention to the fact that their hand could touch hers without her being upset. Sure, her hand would curl its fingers, but it refused to move or smack theirs. How peculiar.

It was dead quiet. Frisk perked, turning this way and that. All around seemed like time had stopped. They looked at Player, her eyes were wide, staring at Sans. She had both hands clutching her chest where her soul would appear if it ever decided to. Following her gaze made Frisk confused. Sans remained smiling, though it felt...off. He was saying something to both of them. His voice echoed. "Have you ever heard of a talking flower?"

They jumped. "Y-yes..." Player's voice came out faintly with Frisk's. The reason they both were quivering was because of Flowey. Or, rather, the thought of this comedian knowing the scheming buttercup.

"So you know all about it. The Echo Flower." His mumbling brought relief to the duo. "They're all over the marsh. Say something to them and they repeat it over and over," he glanced at them. "What about it? Well, Papyrus told me something interesting the other day." The fear came back. "Sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers things to him: Flattery...advice...encouragement..." his smile drooped with each word. "Predictions."

Player tugged at her turtleneck, mouth twisting as she tried to hold back whatever wanted to come out.

"Weird, right? Someone must be using an Echo Flower to play a trick on him. Keep an eye out, okay?" Sans stared right at them both. "Thanks."

Noise filled the room again as time regained its flow. Knocking on the wooden counter, the skeleton leaped off his seat. "Welp, that could've gone better. I can't believe I let you pull me away from work for that long," he chuckled. "Oh...and I'm flat broke. Can ya foot the bill? It's just ten thousand gold," but he was already starting to walk away.

"Sure..." Player grumbled. No, she's making mean faces again. Frisk wanted to chew their nails - they were so worried.

Sans turned around, walking backwards with his usual humor about him. "Just kidding. Grillby, put it on my tab." As he swung around, the children wanted to call him back, but he stopped in front of the door. "Oh, yeah...Y'know you could've at least tried to make small talk, Player. If you're gonna go the extra mile to make a date happen, ya need to try stepping up your game. Let's see some real wooing next time!" And he was gone.

She could only groan.


	8. Being Watched

**Being Watched**

While every timeline is interesting by way of being one or two variables off, this one was certainly peculiar. There was a single key element that usually existed in ways it really shouldn't: the girl called Player. The observing man knew "Players" had their ways of entering worlds, but he couldn't remember ever seeing one enter one like this girl had. Instead of taking Frisk's soul into her own and replacing the child, she simply decided to attach herself to them so she may journey alongside them. How curious. He could see the thread of Determination linking the two together. It flowed strongly between them - perhaps a little more than it should. She must not even be aware of the link, therefore giving more energy to her Frisk than needed. He was not particularly surprised when she fainted the first time. It was bound to happen. However, that is not the only reason why his interest was captured by this timeline and its inevitable alterations. No. The world was still stable. That is the issue. A "Player" and his or her Frisk cannot exist at the same time like they do here. Or so he had thought.

Her "character" also didn't follow the usual recipe as the other Frisks either. This one has long hair that reached their shoulder-blades, was not quite so...intimate as others had proved to be, and really liked to be just a pair of eyes in the background. Perhaps the girl had something to do with it. After all, Frisks and "Players" could act, look, and speak however which way they came. This "Player" must have chosen to mold her Frisk to keep her on track, seeing as she was very distracted or just plain dumb. They were meant to get her from point A to point B. At least, for the time being. He felt that this Frisk would change at some point. Humans were always so indecisive with what they wanted. This "Player" had that sort of gleam in her eyes.

Oh, how he shivered at the thought of her next Route. As much as he and other Monsters wished for a happy ending, he was too smart to believe in it. He had seen it time and time again - the other side of "Players". While some were content with seeing everyone happy, others wanted more. The stories held very similar conclusions: "Players" get bored, they cling to the locals, they search for every little difference, they try to make the world their own, and...they leave. Of course they can drag out their adventure as long as they wish, but they will eventually grow tired of this world. Then, the world bursts into a new life no RESET could ever do - not even a True one. The world is birthed anew from an entirely different mother: the next "Player's" files. Only he holds this knowledge of the continual rebirths. He figured it out whenever he got that eerie feeling that something was not right with the world; that something was off. That was when he paid close attention to the most minuscule details. His answer had been in the Frisks. That's when he finally understood that there were "Players" guiding these striped children.

A wide smile cracked along his face as his unblinking eyes tracked Player. He knew her secret. He knew her future. His mind began to map out every path she could possibly take, each little step she would have to take to get there, and his torn apart soul pulsed painfully at the chance of seeing hers.

[It would seem you have even my attention...]

...

This hallway felt twisted, smothering Player with its oppressive darkness. She felt unseen eyes following her, sliding their gaze over every curve on her body, causing her to shiver against her partner. A chuckle echoed in her head though it seemed to originate from beyond the dark rock walls. Paranoia wrapped around her with ribbon arms, tying her up as a present. The more it covered her, the louder the laugh, and the bigger the eyes grew as they encircled her. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching Frisk's arm like a lifeline.

Concerned about their friend, they pulled out the phone to dial Papyrus for help. They thought calling Toriel would be better, but she didn't answer the last two times. Frisk halted halfway through the hallway, oblivious to the strange atmosphere that weighed down onto Player, to wait for the skeleton to pickup.

At the third ring, a click sounded. For a moment, the pair smiled. Those expectant smiles turned into confused terror in the form of big-eyed, open mouthed stares. Rather than the cheerful voice, a tired, raspy one came through with little interference. It came out perfectly clear as if the speaker were right behind them. "Oh my...Hello. Tell me, do you have the right number, dear child?"

Squeaking, Frisk hung up and tossed the phone as if it were on fire. They took a step back quickly for they did not expect such a response. "Let's g-go, Player. We don't need a phone, and we shouldn't be talking to strangers either!" They added a chuckle to lighten the mood.

"Well, isn't that hypocritical of you? What do you think you've been doing all this time?"

Heart beating in their throat, the child tugged at the girl's arm. "Let's just leave! Please!"

Player wasn't listening. She stared at the phone with a new expression filled with fear, intrigue, and...yet appeared affectionate. Slowly, she bent over to pick it up, put it to her ear, and strained to smile. "I'm so sorry, sir. This isn't the right number after all," she laughed. "Please, forgive us. Have a wonderfully beautiful, magical, good day," the smile faded. "Fucker."

And she hung up, walking out the hall with Frisk in tow.

Pressing on towards the blue glow, the child regarded their friend with a newfound respect - Or maybe just a renewed one - as she speed dialed for Papyrus. By looking at her, they never could have guessed that she had been frightened moments ago. Her face remained calm as though nothing had happened. Yet, they could still see a trace of being entertained by the slight grin in the corner of her lips.

With an annoyed click of her tongue, Player hung up. "No response." She was about to sigh when she stumbled, her foot grazing a sign post. Luckily, Frisk had caught her on their arm. Patting their head as thanks, she glanced around. "Yay...We're gonna get wet," she pointed to the wide rushing murky river a few feet away.

While Frisk rolled up their pant legs, their friend watched the rocks fall. She didn't bother with her pants, nor did she remove her socks and shoes as they did. The water appeared deep; yet she was already taking minute steps towards it. They hopped up to stop her, shoes currently taking up a free space in their inventory.

Her eyes met theirs. "Um...You don't wanna ruin your socks, do you?" Frisk gulped while facing her silence. Smiling, they guided her by the shoulders behind them. "I can carry you across, if you'd like."

"There's something behind the waterfall. Can't you hear it?"

Listening closely was the same as just hearing. There was only the loud roar of water, the splashing of rocks hitting the river, and the whispering breeze. They shook their head, shrugging. That did not bother Player. She pointed to the center of the waterfall, choosing the destination. Once she was securely holding onto Frisk, they carefully walked through the cool river. They wondered if they would have to carry her the entire trip through Waterfall.

The watery curtain crashed down on their heads briefly. Soaked, the pair slipped apart, brushing drenched bangs from their faces. Everything stuck uncomfortably to their skin, droplets dripping where they shouldn't. Player's cold hands slid down to Frisk's hips before they could rub the blur from their eyes. They looked down to see a ruffled pink tutu hugging them, and her fingers leaving it there. Her glistening face smiled proudly at them. In her hand now was a dripping bandage. Oh...now it's gone. No, it's sticking to the back cavern wall.

Frisk carried her across the river, shivering. They felt her slide off, her feet crunching on the black dirt. She caressed their cheek when passing by, grabbing their hand as though she were leading a string of silk. Both jogged into a field of tall grass, stopping at the sound of footsteps. Someone above was getting closer. They kept quiet, crouching low with their arms around each other.

Footsteps...

They stop.

"H-hi, Undyne!" Papyrus could be heard saying. His naturally loud voice seemed at a normal volume at this distance. "I'm here with my daily report. Um...Regarding those humans I called you about earlier-"

Someone else shot back muffled words.

"Huh? Did I fight them?" The skeleton mumbled, a bit surprised. "Y-yes! Of course I did - I fought them valiantly!"

Another quick question.

"What? Did I capture them?" Papyrus went quiet for a moment. "W-well, no," he began again. "I tried very hard, Undyne, but in the end...I failed."

"No you didn't..." Frisk heard Player sigh in time with the breeze.

The drama above continued. "What? You're going to take the humans' souls yourself?" That panicked shout caused the children to sink deeper into the grass. Footsteps crunched the dirt and pebbles. "But Undyne, you don't have to destroy them! You see...You see..." his voice trailed.

There were vile muted words that Undyne had spat followed by a great pause.

"I understand..." Papyrus responded, defeat evident. "I'll help you in any way I can." Then his footsteps began again, fading out in Snowdin's direction.

Having been squatting for so long, Player's legs chose now to give out. She lost her balance, toppling over onto Frisk. The patch of grass they were hiding in rustled angrily at being crushed. Metallic clangs resounded as Undyne approached the edge of the cliff. The duo saw the large aqua spear point down at them, a looming head peering into the darkness with a golden gleam. They held their breath until the spear and figure retreated, until they no longer heard the metal armor.

Feeling preyed upon, they rushed out from the tall grass in a frenzy. Another body slammed excitedly into their backs. "Yo, did you see the way she was staring at you?" A voice panted. It was the Monster kid from before. His eyes were wide, sparkling with envy. "That...was _awesome_!" He jumped up with a smile. "I'm _so_ jealous! What'd you do to get her attention?" His laughter gave the pair a weird sense of relief. It sort of dismissed the whole fact that Undyne was practically on the hunt for them. "C'mon, let's go watch her beat up some bad guys," the little yellow monster ran off chuckling. Then he face-planted, got up, and continued as though he hadn't.

Letting loose a half-hearted laugh of their own, Frisk tugged Player along, passing by a save point. They both came across a plant called a Bridge Seed. Planting four along the gap in the path formed, as one would expect, a stable flowery bridge. Not a big deal if only Player didn't make such sad faces for stepping all over the flowers.

It was still dark here, yet a faint blue light from beyond beckoned. Frisk was eager to find its source, about ready to chase after it when the shadows closed around them. Player's awkward giggles echoed throughout. She faced a muscular seahorse, staring down at her options. Joining her side quickly, Frisk's soul fluttered in between them.

A very odd flexing contest issued. Eck, seahorse sweat.

"I didn't think you had muscles..." Frisk muttered afterwards. They looked at their friend's thin arms, her long sleeves having hid them for so long.

She gave them an incredulous look. "What? Yeah...uh...I was helping pack a while back when we moved, and I woke up the next day with little hills. Shocking, isn't it? Weightlifting works!"

Forming another bridge, the child smiled at her. "Hills?"

"Hills."

The phone rang.


End file.
